Loose-leaf binder.



No. 850,659; PATENTED APR. 16, 1907.

' G. LABARRE. LOOSE LEAP'BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED JLTNEZO, 1906.

THE NORRIS PETERS co., wnsnmqrau, b. c.

. GEORGE LABARRE, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 16, 1907.

Application filed June 20,1906. Serial No. 322.618.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE LABARRE, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Loose Leaf Binders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to loose-leaf binders, the object of the invention being to provide a simple clamping and locking device whereby the clamping-bars between which the papers or leaves are held and securely fastened rela tively to each other and easily released to facilitate the insertion and removal of papers or leaves between the clamping-bars.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, I

and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a loose-leaf binder embody ing the present invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the same,

taken in line with the posts and aws. Fig. 3 is a detail crosssection.

Referring to the drawings, 1 and 2 designate oppositely-arranged parallel clampingbars between which the papers or leaves are adapted to be bound. Each of said bars is shown as comprising an outer sheath or thin covering 3 and an inner filling and stiffening or reinforcing strip 4 to give the necessary stability to the binder as a whole, so that, if desired, the outer coveringor sheath of each of the bars may be extended, as shown at 5 in Fig. 1, to form aback and also a cover for the leaves or sheets contained in the binder.

Extending from the bottom bar 2 upward are two rigidly-attached posts 6, the said posts passing through openings 7, provided therefor in the upper bar 1, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Secured to the upper surface of i the top bar 1 are two sliding jaws 8, each of which is preferably provided in its outer end with a notch 9, which adapts the jaw to partially embrace the adjacent post 6, as shown in Fig. 1, thereby obtaining a better frictional hold on the post. Each of the jaws 8 is secured to the bar 1 by means of a screw or headed stud or rivet 10 or its equivalent, the shank of said fastening device passing through a slot 11 in the jaw, so that said jaw is permitted to slide a limited distance toward and away from the adjacent post 6.

The jaws 8 are provided with upstanding lugs 12, each of which is formed with a.

threaded opening for the reception of one end of a jaw operating shaft 13. The shaft 13 is formed of a piece of rod of suitable length having its central portion bent or de flected and folded upon itself, as shown, to form a laterally-projecting lever-arm 14, by means of which the shaft may be turned through an arc of one hundred and eighty degrees, more or less, as may be necessary. The opposite ends of the shaft 13 are threaded with right and left hand threads, and the lugs 12 are correspondingly threaded, so that as the lever-arm 11 is swung in an arcuate path and the shaft 13 correspondingly turned the jaws 8 are moved toward or away from each other, according to the direction of rotation of said shaft, thereby advancing the jaws into a binding engagement with the post 6 or out of engagement therewith.

It will be understood that the papers or leaves are strung upon the post 6, after which the top bar 1 is also strung upon said post, and after being brought to bear with the desired pressure on the papers contained in the binder the shaft 13 is rocked until the jaws 8 firmly engage and frictionally bind against the posts 6, whereupon the said top bar is held from moving away from the bottom bar 2, thus securely clamping the papers or leaves in the binder.

I claim The herein described loose leaf binder comprising oppositely-arranged leaf-holding members, upright posts secured to one end of said members and projecting through open ings in the other member, notched jaws, each provided with a slot, screws passing through said slots to connect said notched aws to the last-named member to permit said jaws to slide thereon, said jaws having lugs extending upward therefrom, and provided with oppositely-threaded openings, and a manually-operated rock-shaft provided at its opposite ends with right and left hand threads which engage the threaded openings in said lugs on the jaws, s aid rock-shaft comprising a rod having a centrally-disposed integral lever-arm bent therefrom for operating the same, essentially as described.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two. witnesses.

GEORGE LABARRE. Witnesses DEBRAILLE H. THi'lARD, R. J. N oemis. 

